Friday, January 27, 2012

Wild Rice Apple Salad and Sausage with Grapes

What happens when a journalist-marketer-graphic designer for the culinary and agricultural industries (Tracey Ryder) joins forces with a photographer-advertising executive (Carole Topalian)? A lot. They co-founded Edible Communities in 2002 and spawned the local-seasonal movement in the USA. The company currently has 70 published titles all devoted to eating local. The movement has also rolled out local magazines featuring recipes for food grown locally as well as articles devoted to the artisan farmers who make it happen. You can out more about the movement in your hometown by going to Edible Communities. It's quite a feat to transform the way a large country such as the USA eats. But partly because of Ryder and Topalian, this is a movement that grows every year. It's not surprising that Gourmet listed these two women as "game-changers."

Without knowing who Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian were, I had been picking up Edible Twin Cities at the St. Paul Farmer’s Market for a few years. The St. Paul Farmer’s market would be approved by Ryder and Topalian –
you must be within a certain radius of St. Paul to sell your items – unlike
Minneapolis which has vendors selling bananas and oranges – decidedly not
local!

National Public Radio released food trends for 2012. Eating local was one of them. I had to smile. I thought it had been a trend for ten years. Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian are proof of that. I am not a locavore. To do so, I would have to give up stone fruit! Not happening. But I am mindful of the seasons.

Wild rice and apples are two of Minnesota's most lauded products. When we travel and want to bring something local to our hosts, wild rice is always included. I was happy to see a recipe for wild rice that wasn't "Drowned Wild Rice in Cream." Wild rice is hearty enough - it doesn't need to be doused with anything.

As much as I would have loved to have presented this as dinner to "Husband-on Diet-which-means-Hell-has-frozen-over." I knew I need to supply a bit of protein and by the end of the week - another broiled chicken breast just wouldn't cut it. It was time for some winter flavor. (And sausage and grapes are local here - but not so much in January!)

Under low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and when the garlic is just starting to slowly sizzle, add your sausages. Cover and keep under low heat. Turn them every five minutes or so - to let them work their way into a deep, warming brown. After ten minutes, add the peperoncino flakes - in-between the sausages. Cover and let cook for another 20-25 minutes - continuing to turn them every once in a while.

When sausages are cooking (this slow browning is just the most delectable way to serve sausages), drain the fat and add the grapes. Cover and continue to cook under low heat until the grapes start to just wrinkle and pucker and release a juice or two. Uncover and raise the heat to high. Stir the grapes so they are covered with the leftover deeply browned oil in the pan allowing them to take on the earthy flavor. After ten-minutes, serve.

Husband was happy. Daughter was happy. And while the sausages and grapes might have been miffed about the flash on the camera - I consoled myself with the fact that one must organize priorities and if cooking doesn't start until dusk - so be it. Photographing the food the next day was not an option. There were no leftovers!

Please check out what the other bloggers are doing for Week 32 of Female Chef Gourmet Game Changers. And if you want to join in the fun, e-mail Mary at One Perfect Bite. Mary started this delectable journey.

I saw her make the grapes and sausage, and couldn't quite get my mind around it for some reason. What kind of sausage did you use? Spicy, sweet? Glad you tried it and posted - it's good to have another point of view, or taste!

Your pics are great. Mine are never that good, because usually everyone is waiting at the table! And often, leftovers (if there are any) end up going to work with my husband!

I love both these dishes. You always share something delectable with us and the wild rice dish especially appeals to me. I love its nutty flavor and the slight resistance it offers to the tooth. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

I love wild rice, actually my husband says I hoard the stuff! That picture of the apples and rice sure does want me to try it. Sweet grapes with savory sausage-count me in on that as well. I wish I had eaten at your place!Also I think I saw something on the TV about the Edible Communities, pretty great movement as far as I am concerned. Enjoy the weekend!

I never knew that about the founders of the Edible magazines. I always make it a point to pick up the latest copy when it comes out. The apples and rice would be great for dinner, but then I saw the sausage and grapes and I had to swerve and turn the figurative car around.

Isn't that funny - I've been picking up various edible publications from different cities I've visited without knowing that these two ladies were behind this movement. Lovely recipe to represent them by - I like the flavor combinations.

I would love the wild rice for my lunches! So good with the apples and cranberries. I've seen the sausage and grape pairing before but never tried it - enjoyed your description of the cooking process! Makes me want it. Now.

These both look just heavenly. I love the thought of sausage paired with grapes. Unusual but delicious. Thanks for sharing with me...and thank you for your kind words! I hope you are having a happy and relaxing Saturday.

Two great dishes! I too cook dinner after dusk and photography meals with a flash don't work out so well. Instead I think your photo looks good. I wish I could learn more about taking good food photos.

I haven't had wild rice for a long time. It sounds delicious as a salad recipe! It looks very refreshing. Now the sausage with grapes! That sounds interesting and yummy~. Got inspired by your delicious post!

I love your wild rice mixed with apples, Claudia! I pick up Edible Manhattan and Edible Brooklyn when I see them, more to learn about new restaurants and food events than recipes, but from now on I will have to pay attention to the recipes!

Sausage cooked with grapes sounds so unusual but so good! Lidia's recipes are always so creative, yet easy to make.